Originally published at Southern Cross
SAN DIEGO — A local project is using tree-planting as part of the process of healing from sexual abuse.
“The Planting Hope project is supported by the Diocese of San Diego as part of its ongoing commitment to outreach to victim/survivors of clergy abuse and offering healing opportunities,” said Mary Acosta, the diocese’s Victim Assistance Coordinator.
The project was launched in 2024 as an outreach activity of Friends for the Journey, a supportive group of survivors of clergy abuse working with the diocese since 2020 to offer accompaniment and healing opportunities to others harmed by abuse as children.
Participants in the project choose from a selection of donated trees. They plant their chosen tree with members of Friends for the Journey and dedicate that tree in honor of an abused loved one. Group members pray with them and bless the tree, reminding all of the importance of staying connected to Jesus like branches to the vine (John 15:1-9).
Acosta said that the project is “a tangible symbol of hope, healing and the potential of growth.”
“It is a sign that the Church and survivors within it care about their well-being and desire for restoration and wholeness,” she said.
April is “National
